Thesis topic:

Zero-knowledge Proofs for Secure Digital Twin Interactions in Industry 4.0

• Supervisor: Mubashar Iqbal
  • contact: mubashar.iqbal@ut.ee
• The proposed thesis will explore how zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) can enhance the security and privacy of interactions between digital twins in Industry 4.0 environments. Digital twins, virtual replicas of physical assets, often share sensitive operational data with other systems, devices, or stakeholders for tasks like predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and remote monitoring and control. However, this exchange of information raises significant privacy and security concerns, especially in industrial settings where intellectual property and operational details must be protected. ZKPs allow one party to prove knowledge of specific information (such as a digital twin's operational status) without revealing the data. This research will investigate how ZKPs can be integrated into the digital twin communication framework to ensure privacy-preserving interactions, reducing the risk of data breaches and industrial espionage. The study will include developing a ZKP-based architecture that provides both data integrity and confidentiality while still maintaining the efficiency required for real-time decision-making in smart factories and other Industry 4.0 applications. This approach will help industry leaders confidently adopt digital twin technology, knowing their critical operations are securely protected. The thesis will also address potential challenges in implementing ZKP protocols in diverse industrial use cases and propose solutions for real-world deployment.
• Reference paper: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10462010

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